How to Cook Frozen Chicken in the Instant Pot

The Instant Pot continues to amaze! Today, I’ll teach you how to cook frozen chicken in the Instant Pot in minutes, compared to hours. You will not believe how simple it is to cook chicken that is moist and fork tender in the Instant Pot in just a few minutes.

How many recipes do you use regularly that require chicken? The beauty (one of many) of the Instant Pot is the time saver aspect! I love being able to cook frozen chicken in just a few minutes, and get a fork-tender result. Before I owned the Instant Pot, I had to plan ahead to cook chicken for hours if I wanted it to shred easily, now it’s about a 30 minutes process. All you need is chicken (fresh or frozen) liquid, seasoning and the Instant Pot!

Experiments with time…

The first few times I cooked frozen chicken in the Instant Pot, I was concerned the chicken would not cook completely, as a result, I overcooked it. Whenever I cook chicken in the oven and start out with frozen chicken, it takes about 45-60 minutes (covered) at 350 degrees depending on the thickness of the frozen chicken breast.

Knowing that the Instant Pot usually cooks in a fraction of the time of traditional cooking methods (oven, slow cooker, stove) I guessed 20-30 minutes would be the perfect amount of cook time. Wrong! The chicken was almost dried out (which is very difficult to do in the Instant Pot!) when cooking for 30 minutes. The next time, I tried 10 minutes. The chicken was cooked, but seemed a bit on the fleshy side. Not raw, just not quite firm enough for my liking and more difficult to shred. I finally settled on cooking frozen chicken on the manual setting for 12 minutes. The result was perfectly cooked chicken.

I like to allow the pressure to release naturally, instead of manually (turning the venting dial by hand) if possible. I think the extra time in the Instant Pot with the liquid helps lock the moisture into the meat. That said, if you are in a hurry, it is fine to release the pressure manually using the pressure release (venting) valve after the cooking process is finished and the timer has gone off.

Weighty matters

For purposes of uniformity, I weighed the chicken for this recipe at 2 lbs total before cooking, about 4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves. Two pounds of meat is about 6 servings, or 8 servings if you have a several side dishes or are feeding littles. Two pounds of frozen chicken will yield about 6-8 cups of cooked, shredded chicken to be used in salads, soups or other dishes.

I used chicken breasts of a medium to thick size, anywhere from 9-12 oz each (weight before cooking). I buy chicken at the grocery and also from Costco. For convenience sake (so I always have chicken on hand) I purchase 10 lb bags of Foster Farms chicken at Costco. This is what I use most often, especially when cooking in bulk. The chicken breasts in the 10 lb packages tend to be quite thick, but work in this recipe for How to Cook Frozen Chicken in the Instant Pot.

Big crowd cooking

If you’re cooking for a crowd, or just want to cook a large amount of chicken at one time I have had success cooking 5 lbs of chicken, frozen, in the Instant Pot. I simply place the chicken in the pot add the liquid and then turn the pot on for 15 minutes. Same result as when the chicken is cooked in a smaller size batch.

I have the 6 quart Instant Pot, and can comfortably cook 5-6 lbs of chicken at a time. I haven’t experimented with larger pots. When cooking a large batch of chicken, remember the chicken will shrink while cooking so even though you fill the pot with chicken if you’re cooking a 5lb batch, after the chicken is cooked and the lid is opened, the volume of the chicken in the pot will be reduced by about 1/4 to 1/3.

After cooling the cooked meat, chop or shred and place in containers to be used immediately or frozen for later use. I use my Quisinart Food Processor to shred the chicken while still warm by pulsing a few times. Recently, a reader told me she simply places her hand held mixer into the bowl with the cooked chicken and turns on to shred the chicken. I tried this method in my stand mixer and it is like magic! Shredded chicken without using forks to pull apart! Perfect for salads (below) like this Chicken and Kale Salad with Apricot Vinaigrette!

Instant Pot love

I you haven’t read the basics of using the Instant Pot, take a look at Instant Pot, Now What? It will help you be more familiar with the IP and taking the plunge into cooking in the IP. I promise, once you start using the Instant Pot, there’s no going back! If I used the Instant Pot for nothing more than cooking frozen chicken, it would be worth the price.

How to Cook Frozen Chicken in the Instant Pot

Ingredients

Instructions

Place the chicken in the pot, season generously with salt and pepper and any other seasonings desired. .

Pour 1/2 cup water around the sides of the chicken in the pot.

Make sure the sealing ring (inside the lid) is in the proper position.

Place the lid on the pot and set to the lock or SEAL position.

Turn the Instant Pot to the MANUAL setting for 12 minutes. If the chicken is not frozen, 8 minutes will work.

Press the MANUAL button to start the cooking process.

When the timer goes off and the chicken is cooked, the pressure may be released manually by carefully turning the valve on top of the Instant Pot to the VENTING position (be careful to not position your face over the pot while steam is releasing), or simply allow the pressure to naturally release for about 10-15 minutes before removing lid.

Remove chicken from the pot, shred or chop and use as needed.

Recipe Notes

-Seasoning will depend on how you use the chicken. I usually season generously with salt and pepper. If I am using the chicken for a mexican dish, I season with chili powder, coriander and garlic. You can also use salsa instead of water when cooking. Use the same amount of salsa to liquid.-I like to let the chicken sit in the juice (broth) for a few minutes before shredding, and then spoon a small amount of the liquid remaining over the chicken after shredding. -You can pour the remaining broth over a strainer and freeze or use the chicken broth within 5 days. Use in any recipe calling for chicken broth or stock.-I have a 6 quart pot and have cooked up to 5 lbs of frozen chicken at one time. cook with 1 cups of water for 15 minutes. Follow same directions for cooking as with 2 lbs of chicken.

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Comments

Thank you, Si! I didn’t know frozen chicken could be cooked without first defrosting. This would be such a time saver!! Can’t wait to try it. Can it be cooked from frozen in a crockpot? As always, I learn so much from you 🙂

Heather,
Yes, this is one of the great benefits of using the Instant pot! In the slow cooker, you can cook frozen chicken, but sometimes, you’ll come out with raw spots of meat. I have not had that issue in the IP. If you don’t have one yet, you need one! I hardly use the slow cooker anymore because the IP is so much quicker, no need to plan all day for cooking.
thanks Heather!
xo
Si

I cook frozen chicken in my crockpot often. Never had a problem. I do always set the crockpot on high for at least an hour first and then turn it to low if needed for a recipe. I think the first hour on high helps it thaw faster.

Dear Briane,
You can simply put your frozen chicken in the IP and cook it without washing. The cooking actually kills bacteria that lives on the meat. Rinsing chicken can disturb the bacteria on your meat and cause it to spread to other surfaces in your kitchen, or onto you. You will be able to save time and maintain a cleaner kitchen by not washing your chicken.
I hope this helps!
xo,
Si

This is so strange because I did frozen chicken breasts last night for the recommended 25 minutes I found in several online sources and it was still pink in the middle so I had to repressurize and do another 5 minutes. I didn’t feel like it was overcooked.????????‍♀️

Holly, were you cooking thighs? If so, pink does not necessarily mean not cooked. 20-30 yrs ago chickens walked around, rather than being mass produced in cramped cages with no exercise, so the dark meat back then was more brown when cooked. Now chickens don’t get much, if any exercise and have been bred to grow so quickly, the dark meat is often a pink color when cooked. If you can tear it apart, it’s cooked, if the pink parts are slimy, then it’s not.

You are confusing egg layers/pullets and Broilers (chickens used for meat). Broilers are not kept in cages as that would result in poor muscle development equaling poor meat yield. I have a bachelors in pre-veterinary medicine with a minor in Poultry Management and have worked in the poultry industry with many commercial companies. I can tell you from hands on experience (and raising over 6 million broilers) that anyone who keeps a bird used for meat in a cage is not doing their business a favor.

If you use the poultry setting like I do, you will find it takes a bit longer to cook but I have had fantastic results doing it poultry setting verses manual mode. It has never come out dry even if I cook it too long. Only gets really tender. So for not shredding I have to cook it a shorter time period. I have an IP duo.

This was the easiest and best shredded chicken I’ve ever made. I couldn’t believe how easily it shredded. Thanks for this! I’ve just recently found your blog and I’ve made the stew once, the shredded chicken once, and the Levain bakery chocolate chip cookies thrice, and they’ve all been delicious!

Heidi,
The sealing ring is the rubber ring that sits inside of the pot lid. Make sure it is properly fitted before you turn the IP on. It should tuck under the metal ring that stays in place inside of the pot. It does not rotate, just fits under the lid!

I cooked 5 frozen breast and 1 cup of water in the instant pot and did on manual for 30 minutes and then let it cool down for 15 min before I used the pressure valve. The chicken just shredded easily with a fork.

I notice that you don’t have anything, such as steamer baskets, separating the layers of chicken. Do you ever have issues with underdone spots where the layers touch? I tried IP cooking thawed chicken with layers touching and had several underdone spots. I’m new at this–thanks for your advice!

Hi Colette,
I have not used anything to separate the pieces of frozen chicken while cooking in the IP. I’ve cooked several pieces of chicken at one time in the IP without thawing or using anything to separate the chicken. Not sure why you are having issues with the IP or why there are frozen spots? Also, I haven’t had any other feedback about underdone spots?
thanks for reading ABK,
Si

Hi Kendra,
Your chicken was not cooked through? Not sure why. The recipe states 1/2 cup of water and 10 minutes cooking time. I’ve had several people tell me they have had excellent results. I’m wondering if altitude has something to do with variation in cooking time? I live in the mountains at 4500 ft elevation. Where are you located?

Hi Jennifer,the poultry setting cooks at high pressure for either 15 or 30 minutes depending on how much you’re cooking. The manual pressure setting also cooks at high pressure, but you can adjust the time to your preference. I always just use the manual button because of how easy it is to adjust the time if needed. Also, if you live at a higher altitude, this might also require you to cook the chicken a few minutes longer. Thanks for reading ABK!

Hi. I also had frozen spots where the two breasts had been stuck together…totally bright pink. I added the additional cook time recommended for high altitude cooking with all other recipes it turned out ok. Please advise. Thanks! 🙂

Hi Donya, depending on your IP size and the altitude you’re at, you might have to cook the chicken a little extra longer. Also, make sure the release valve is completely closed. If the valve is just a little open, some of the steam will be released and this interferes with the pressure build up. Hope this helps and thanks for reading ABK!

I also have an instant pot duo80 (8 qt size) my manual says to always have a minimum of about 2 cups of liquid (this is crucial for it to boil correctly). I see tons of variations in many instant pot recipes with so many different pressure cookers and model versions. So I’ve decided to always adapt the recipes to align with my instant pot’s manual for cooking times and the correct fluid level. I have never had an issue when I do this.

Thanks for pointing this out. I have made several recipes without using 2 cups of liquid with success, but it may be the reason some of the readers here are having issues with the chicken cooking correctly!
Appreciate your feedback!
Si

I’m going to try these today but would like it to be BBQ chicken. Should I just use 1/2 cup of BBQ sauce or still use the 1/2 cup water also? I have 4 frozen costco chicken breasts. Thank you for the recipe!

Shauna,
Yes, you can use bbq sauce instead of water! The pressure cooker needs liquid in the pot to properly cook, the bbq sauce will work as a replacement. I would cook the chicken in the 1/2 cup bbq sauce, then after cooking, remove any unwanted liquid from the pot and add additional bbq sauce to the pot on the saute setting for a few minutes with the lid off. Let us know what adjustments you made after cooking!
xo
Si

Just cooked 3 lbs of frozen chicken breast for 13 minutes and 3/4 cup water and they were perfection. I shredded the chicken with my mixer and I am now a fan of this method!! It’s so awesome to have shredded chicken in the freezer for quick meals with so little effort!!

Stephanie,
Glad you had great results. I use the IP about once a week to cook frozen chicken and like you, have had perfect results! I love the mixer method as well to shred the chicken! Thanks for reading ABK,
xo
Si

I followed this recipe with 2 lbs frozen chicken breasts, but the chicken came out very tough. I used one of those cheaper bags of ice glazed, individually frozen chicken breasts. Are Costco chicken breasts fairly meat and substantial? If so, perhaps I should try again with less time?

Sarah,
The brand I purchased at Costco is Foster Farms. They are sold in the freezer section… the chicken breasts are fairly thick in size. You may try a little less time if your chicken is tough!
Thanks for reading ABK,
xo
Si

Most times when meat cooked in IP comes out tough, it is due to one of these:

Undercooked
Poor quality, brand
Releasing pressure too soon

If it’s dry and tough, probably over cooked.

I never liked pressured meats because they were always tough. Then I saw a website that explained about how letting it natural release at least 10 min. was equivalent to letting roasted meats rest before cutting. Since I started doing the 10 min. NR, my have almost all been perfect. I have stopped buying poultry at certain stores now because theirs have been consistently tough, no matter how I cook them. I have also discovered that some stores refer to all meats as “fresh” if they are thawed when sold, even if they were previously frozen! So I have bought their “fresh” chicken, froze it, then when thawed and cooked, it was tough and off flavored. That is what usually happens when meat is frozen, thawed, and then re-frozen. Albertson’s was the worst for this; haven’t bought poultry from them in over 20 years!

Differences in thickness of meat makes a difference in cooking time. I get two types of frozen breasts. Some look like they were just cut from the bone; can be up to 2″ thick. Some are flat and roundish, no more than 1/2-3/4″ thick (obviously trimmed). The latter only need 12 min. cooking from frozen. The thicker type need 20 minutes.

Had two very thick chicken breasts weighing nearly three pounds. Followed instructions but cooked for 15 minutes. One breast was raw in middle. Put them back in for five minutes. Was able to shred them – seemed a tad rubbery.

I’m just wondering if you get the blubbery white stuff on the chicken breasts when you cook your Costco frozen chicken? I didn’t notice it in your picture. I love cooking chicken in my instant pot, but that grosses me out 😳

Nikki,
I do occasionally get the white bubbly substance on my chicken! I think it’s a combination of fat and salt that have coagulated. It is harmless, but I agree looks kind of gross. I simply scrape it into the garbage. I’m not sure why it does not form every time I cook chicken? It must have to do with the amount of moisture in the pan… I think it is similar to chicken or turkey fat that collects in a pan when cooked in the oven!
thanks for reading ABK
xo
Si

This answered my burning question! I always have that white bubbly fat on my chicken. I just scrape and toss. I did wonder about using water while I cooked my chicken, but I usually just toss my chicken into the cooker and hit the preset poultry setting. Once it pressurizes, I think it takes about 10-13 min to cook my chicken. I’ve only ever done about 5 pieces of the Costco bag at one time but I’ve never had a problem with my chicken being under/over done.

I have not, because chicken tenders are so small and thin, I’m sure the cooking time would be reduced. I would start with 5-6 minutes and experiment. If they are not done, you can add more time after all pressure has been released!
thanks for reading, and let me know. I’d love to hear how much time to cook the chicken tenders.
xo
Si

I tried it today with six frozen chicken tenders, 3/4 cup water, and some lemon pepper seasoning. I gave it 13 minutes + 5 minutes of release. It tastes fine to me although it was falling apart a bit… so 6 minutes would probably be better.

Bought my IP last weekend on sale at target and used it for the first time today with your frozen chicken recipe. WORTH EVERY PENNY. If I only used it for this very purpose it would have been worth the money. Can’t wait to try your other recipes!

Hi! I just purchased the Instant Pot DUO Plus 6 Qt 9-in-1 and since there isn’t a Manual setting on this model only the Pressure Cook option could you tell me which settings I would use on this one? I’m having a hard time finding any recipes for this model mostly because of the Manual setting.

Corona,
The older IP models have a “manual” button which is the same as the “pressure cook” button in the new models.
You can try any of my recipes – just press “pressure cook” when it calls for “manual”.
Let me know what you try!
xo,
Si

I also recently purchased IP Duo Plus yada, yada, yada and it has the ‘Pressure Cook’ setting. The user manual says what pressure low and high pressure are as you can choose which you use with the ‘pressure cook’ setting. Does the user manual for the older models that have the “manual” button state what pressure the manual setting is? I have been confused when reading recipes like this one that say manual, should I use the low pressure or high pressure settings?

Loved this recipe! It was my first time ever using an Instant Pot, so I wanted to start with something easy and simple! I did three pounds of chicken frozen for 15 minutes. For a first shot, it turned out pretty good! My question is this- my pieces were definitely thick and stuck together in several places. The breasts were cooked completely through- the right temperature on a meat thermometer and no pink spots- but seemed just a little tough and took a little work to shred. If I wanted the chicken to be more tender and falling apart, would I want to cook it a little more or a little less next time? I’m thinking a few minutes more, but I’m a better baker than actual cook, so I thought I would see if someone else could weigh in! Thanks!

Beka,
Unfortunately if you are using organic chicken it often turns out tough. I highly recommend the Foster Farms frozen chicken breasts found in many local grocery stores or at Costco in 10 lb bags. Let me know how that works!
Thanks for reading ABK!
xo,
Si

Shauna,
I think the biggest issue with using the IP is to make sure the release valve is completely closed. I started cooking a recipe last week and the valve was just a little open, causing a small amount of steam to be released and not letting the pressure build up. Don’t be afraid to try again – hoping that helps.
Thanks for your feedback.
xo,
Si

I am brand new to the Instant Pot and this recipe is my first try at it. I have the DUO series and there is no MANUAL button…just a PRESSURE COOK button that allows me to adjust my time. Is this right? Do you know the differences that I should be looking for when using all your IP recipes?

Kim,
Great question! I use the Manual setting for this recipe (or high pressure mode on some models) . If you’re new to the Instant Pot, you may want to read How to Use the Instant Pot to get you more familiar with using this great kitchen tool.
Thanks for reading ABK!
xo,
Si

I substituted Italian dressing and a little soy sauce for the water and used Kroger frozen breast tenderloins. I reduced the time to 11 minutes. Perfection! Your recipe inspired me, and I put my own twist on it.

I have not tried using the IP with frozen bone in chicken, but Im fairly sure it will work. I posted a recipe for cooking a whole chicken in the IP, take a look at that and compare pounds of chicken and time. My guess is to add a couple of minutes to the 12 minute cooking time. Thighs are moist and I believe will most likely not dry out in the IP. Let us know how you cook it and the time, I’d love to hear the results!
Si

Hi! I have about 2 pounds of frozen chicken breasts I am about to start for a recipe. I have the instant pot Duo 6 quart, and it says I must have a minimum of two cups of water when pressure cooking. Will that mess it up?

Stephanie,
This recipe has worked well for me multiple times. The 1/2 cup water will be perfect. I hope you enjoy cooking with your IP as much as I do! Let me know how it turns out.
Thanks for reading ABK!
xo,
Si

Hi! So I see this is more for having shredded chicken on hand which is always great to have! But if I were to want to cook them to eat the breast as a whole piece, would you just cook less time so they aren’t so shredd-able? Hope that makes sense 🙂

I am very excited for my instant pot! Just tried this recipe with a frozen solid breast that was a little under 2 lbs. It did not cook all the way through in 12 minutes, which I thought might happen. I put back in for 7, which may be too much. Right now I’m just experimenting, thank you for your detailed recipes!!!

Amanda,
You’re welcome! Good for you for experimenting with your IP! I hope the chicken turned out great in the end. Keep using your IP- it has been a time saver for me. Let me know how my recipes work for you in the future.
Thanks for reading ABK!
xo,
Si

Just tried this with two frozen chicken breasts, about 2.5 pounds. 6qt pot at 10 min with 10 min pressure release. They were still frozen and Raw in the middle. Only 1/4 cooked. Put on meat, high, for 10 min with 10 min release. Perfection! Juicy and easy to shred. Not sure why mine took longer but I have no problem playing with times that work in my pot. Thanks for the info – this was the first time I tried from frozen.

I’ve tried this twice now and both times my chicken is still incredibly raw in the middle. The first time the breasts were really thick so I figured that was the problem but this time they were much thinner and I still had the same problem. I’ll just have to double the time from now on or something.

Ahslee,
That is so interesting Ashlee. Tell me what type of chicken you are buying, brand? The Foster Farms brand I purchase at Costco has quite thick pieces, so Im guessing it’s not the thickness. Are you using an IP brand pot? Also, you are using the manual setting? or high pressure setting? I want to get to the bottom of this!

I put 2 large, rock-hard frozen breasts in for 14 min – not even close to done. I’ve just put them back on for another 14 min., so we’ll see what happens! I don’t care if they end up overcooked, as I plan to shred them up and slather them with mayo for chicken salad anyway. LOL

Even if it does take 30 min. for me, that’s still fast as heck! If not for the IP, I would have been in a bind for dinner tonight. 🙂

Hi Vilya,
I am puzzled as to why the chicken did not cook in the amount of tie stated in the recipe? I have made this dozens of times with out a hitch. And lots of reviews stating the same. But occasionally a reader has issues…Was the seal in place in the lid of the IP?

I wish I knew! Everything I’ve made in the IP since I got it has come out just like whichever recipe I was using said. Maybe the chicken didn’t cook fully because it was frozen so hard? I haven’t had any problems with my seal or anything, so it’s a mystery. No worries, though! It was fine after the second round of cooking, though I definitely went overboard with doing it another 14 minutes. Probably another 6 would have been fine. But it made delish chicken salad. 🙂

Next time I make it, I’m going to try again with your original 12 min. and see what happens. Maybe this first time was just a fluke. I’m looking forward to making more recipes from your site! 🙂

Hanky Panky,
Glad you had success with this recipe! I used this recipe tonight to cook chicken for enchiladas tomorrow. It’s the best way to cook chicken for recipes that call for cooked chicken. Thanks for reading ABK!
xo
Si

Sharon,
I use my Instant Pot regularly. Just get it out of the box and start using it, I know you’ll love the versatility of this great kitchen appliance. Let me know what recipe you try first!
Thanks for reading ABK.
xo,
Si

I just bought my IP and trying this recipe using just 1/2 cup of water.After waiting ten minutes of it preheating (ON only displaying), the float valve still wasn’t rising. The manual said using too little water could be the cause of the float valve not rising. So started over and added more water in hopes that it will pressurize. Sure enough, within a few minutes it worked. Perhaps that’s the reason OR perhaps I didn’t wait long enough at first just because it is the first time I’ve tried the IP. I’ll let you know how it works out!

I have the 8-quart Instant Pot, and the manual says to use a minimum of 2.25 cups of liquid with each recipe. I read that you are using a 6-quart Instant Pot. Is there a minimum amount of liquid required for safe use of your Instant Pot as well? Almost every Instant Pot recipe I’ve seen has a lower liquid amount than the 2.25 cups my 8-quart Instant Pot requires. Maybe I’m not reading the manual correctly?

Alisa,
I admittedly have not read the entire manual for the IP! I test and retest my IP recipes, using different amounts of liquid. I post the recipes according to what I believe are the best liquid to food ratio. I will have to look into this thanks you Alisa!
Si

Costco’s Foster farms chicken has a pretty high water content (It says the percentage on the bag). Perhaps that’s why the 1/2 cup water works well for that chicken. Might also be why it cooks well in 12 min. Other frozen chicken may have less water content and may require more water or more time?

Julie,
If you have a whole chicken, you may want to try my Instant Pot Whole Rotisserie Chicken recipe. Whole chicken in the IP is moist and so juicy! Perfect for chicken and noodles.
Thanks for reading ABK!
xo,
Si

i just tried this. 1.88lbs of frozen, did 15 min, natural release, and still pink and uncooked, so added another 8 min and seems ok. would that be because my chicken was frozen together into a ball of chicken? do the recipes above show for ind frozen chicken and could that be why it did not work out?

Shelia,
I use individually frozen chicken breasts from the grocery store or Costco. What you did was just right. If you have a ball of frozen chicken, first cook the chicken, then separate the pieces and cook a little longer. Thanks for sharing your experience! Now, what recipe are you going to use, now that you have delicious cooked chicken?
Thanks for reading ABK!
xo,
Si

I used my Costco purchased, group packaged fresh Foster Farms Chicken Breasts which I had frozen in the separated packages. I chose a large package that was fully frozen into one block. I added 1/4 cup water with 1/4 cup BBQ sauce. 15 minutes manual high pressure with natural pressure release allowed me to separate the (3) breasts. I poured out the liquid and returned 1/2 cup, positioned the uncooked sides of the chicken to the bottom and cooked an another 4 minutes. I believe that if I had used the individually frozen breasts from the freezer section versus the packaged chicken in the fresh area the results would have been different. I think it was better to break the cooking time into two sections to allow for repositioning the meat as required. Quick shred with the mixer, pulled out half to be used for another dish in the future and added BBQ sauce and served on a roll. Quick and easy since I got to accomplish other things during the process.

Cathleen,
Thank you for taking the time to share the steps you took to separate and cook your large chunk of frozen chicken. Your comments are sure to help other readers. I love my IP! I can just turn it on and do other things. I’m not babysitting a boiling pot of chicken breasts or stew!
Thanks for reading and contributing to ABK.
xo,
Si

Wow! This is packed full of helpful information. Thank you so much for putting so much time and thought into this article.

At this very moment, I am using your method to thaw / cook 1 lb of professionally frozen-solid chicken thighs. I’m using 1/2 cup water and have reduced the cooking time to 10 minutes. If it doesn’t work, I’ll come back and update my tweaks.

I made the frozen chicken breads and they were delicious!!! I took a partially used can of cream of chicken soup and mixed it with white wine making sure I had two cups of liquid, as that’s what my pot calls for, at least two cups of liquid. I put the chicken on top of the liquid and sprinkled poultry seasoning, thyme, salt and pepper over my two pieces of chicken. Pressure cooked for 12 minutes with a natural release. Served the sauce and chicken over noodles. DELISH!!

Haven’t tried frozen chicken yet but did use thawed chicken and cooked it for enchilada casserole. Fast and easy. I buy frozen Kirkland chicken breasts. They have a slightly lower salt content (15%) which we prefer.

hmmmmmm I usually cook at least 4-5. I think if they are frozen, you will still need 12 minutes. You could try 8-10 and see if they are done, if not, just place lid back on and cook for a few more minutes. I would use 1/2 cup of water.
Let us know in comments if you try it!
xo
Si

Hi Katie, your chicken was not cooked through? I’m not sure why. The recipe states 1/2 cup of water and 10 minutes cooking time for 2 lbs of chicken, so you would have to adjust accordingly if you used just 1 lb of chicken. I’m wondering if altitude has something to do with variation in cooking time? I live in the mountains at 4500 ft elevation. Where are you located?
xo
Si

This was my first time using my instant pot and it worked perfect! Like someone mentioned earlier, the manual says to use 2 cups liquid, so I was afraid I wouldn’t have enough, but I did. I didn’t get too close to it while it was doing it’s thing, because I’ve heard horror stories about the old kind, too, lol so I watched from afar, but now I have my nerve up to not be scared. I used 2.5 lbs frozen chicken and 3/4 cup liquid for 12 minutes on manual. I used it to make a big pot of chicken and whole wheat noodles, peas and carrots. I used the broth from the chicken to cook the noodles in. I can see where this is going to be super convenient for me! Thank you so much for this and all your recipes and to everyone for their comments, they are so helpful.

This was perfect for making a batch of shredded chicken to make chicken salad. I was a little worried after reading some reviews about their frozen chicken not cooking through or being stuck together where they touched so I cooked it for 15 minutes. I used chicken from Costco that you find in the meat and deli area that come in eight packets each containing 2 breast generally that we freeze. The chicken was cooked through and most of it was moist and very easy to shred. Some of the chicken did feel a little tough but I definitely feel like this method is a winner and I’ll try it again for the recommended time next time.

I am not sure why you didn’t have great results, but I know some people have had to cook chicken a bit longer, depending on brand of pressure cooker, thickness of chicken, and brand of chicken purchased. I’d love to know your altitude and the brand of your pressure cooker, and if you used a manual or high pressure setting?
Thanks so much,
Si

Hi. I just received an instant pot and I’m excited to try this.
My question about frozen chicken is this; can I follow a recipe that uses thawed chicken with frozen chicken? I have a sesame chicken recipe that uses thawed chicken but mine is frozen. Are there recipes that uses frozen chicken or do I need to thaw it first? Thanks
Katy